The Cultural Politics of Food: Rice as an Anti-Globalization Project

Abstract

This article discusses the ways in which Taiwanese utilized rice as a cultural symbol in anti-globalization movements. Analyzing the period from 1960 to 2015, it distinguishes among three phases: the internationalization phase (1960–83); the globalization phase (1984–2003); and the anti-globalization phase (2004–15). There are two main focuses of concern. First, have Taiwanese dietary habits, represented by rice, their main staple food, changed as a result of cultural encounters created by processes of internationalization, globalization, and anti-globalization? Second, what are the unique characteristics of Taiwan's anti-globalization movements in the context of food justice movements around the world? My research results indicate that Taiwan's anti-globalization campaigns are unique because of their development through large-scale organized social movements and their prominent use of symbolism and performance arts, leading to the birth of far-reaching public discourses and public values. However, possibly as a result of historical factors, discourse about issues of social justice and equality is relatively absent from local food network initiatives in Taiwan.